C.S. Lewis once said true friends face in the same direction, toward common projects, interests and goals. Paul’s letters show that he considered Timothy his son in the Lord (Philippians 2:22). They lived C. S. Lewis’s definition of true friends as they spread the gospel.
The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.
I Timothy 1:5
In his first letter to Timothy, Paul established their goal as partners as being a display of love from a pure heart that desires the best for the person to whom they were ministering. Loving with a good conscience meant serving with integrity as a person that could be relied upon to do the right thing. Loving from a sincere faith meant being committed to trusting Jesus and doing God’s will.
Who are the people you serve in your life? Is your aim to love from a pure heart, good conscience and sincere faith? Be a true friend. Next, pray about what’s best for the nation, with a right attitude, while trusting God. Then intercede for the nation’s leaders to be more concerned about the welfare of the citizens of the nation rather than their own selfish ambitions.
Recommended Reading: Hebrews 10:19-25
Tag Archives: a pure heart
John MacArthur – Drawing Near Daily Devotional
Thinking Biblically
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God” (Matt. 5:8).
God is concerned about the way you think. That’s why Paul said, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect” (Rom. 12:2). In Philippians 4:8 he instructs us to think about that which is true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, of good repute, excellent, and praiseworthy.
When Jesus spoke of a pure heart in Matthew 5:8, He was talking about sanctified thinking. The Greek word translated “heart” is kardia, from which we get the word cardiac. While we often relate heart to the emotions (e.g., “He has a broken heart”), the Bible relates it primarily to the intellect (e.g., “Out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, slanders”; Matt. 15:19). That’s why you must “watch over your heart with all diligence” (Prov. 4:23).
In a secondary way, however, heart relates to the will and emotions because they are influenced by the intellect. If you are committed to something, it will affect your will, which in turn will affect your emotions.
The Greek word translated “pure” in Matthew 5:8 means “to cleanse.” In the moral sense it speaks of being free from the filth of sin. It also refers to something that is unmixed, unalloyed, or unadulterated. Spiritual integrity and sincere motives are appropriate applications of its meaning to the Christian life.
Jesus was saying the kingdom citizen is blessed because he or she has pure thoughts and pure motives that together produce holy living. Someone might say he’s religious and has pure motives, but if his behavior isn’t righteous, his heart isn’t fixed on God. Similarly, you can go to church, carry a Bible, and recite verses, but if your heart isn’t clean, you haven’t met God’s standard.
You must do the will of God from a pure heart (Eph. 6:6). Toward that end, make David’s prayer yours as well: “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me” (Ps. 51:10).
Suggestions for Prayer: Memorize Psalm 19:14 and make it a part of your daily prayers.
For Further Study: Read the following verses, noting the characteristics of a pure heart: Psalm 9:1, 26:2, 27:8, 28:7, and 57:7.
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